The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Farouq, on Saturday, in Yola, launched the training of Community Orientation and Mobilisation Officers (COMOS) for the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP).
She stated that the core objective of the training was to impart knowledge in the COMOS on how to register and enlighten the target beneficiaries to access GEEP loans, with a view to eradicating poverty and generating employment in the country
The minister cited under privileged women, especially widows and divorces, as well as youths, orphans and out of school children, as the programme’s target beneficiaries.
Farouq, who was represented by Mr. Lawal Gambo, supervisor for the training in the ministry, said the programme was being implemented by the ministry, under the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), in partnership with the National Orientation Agency (NOA).
“The newly restructured GEEP 2.0 intends to target under privileged citizens and most vulnerable people in Nigeria, with special consideration for women, youth and farmers in rural areas.
“GEEP 2.0 is structured on desk officers from the ministry, desk officers from state focal persons and community orientation mobilisation officers from local Government level,” Farouq said.
In his remarks, Dr Umar Bindir, the National Coordinator of the NSIP, urged the participants to focus and strive for the successful implementation of the programme in the state.
Bindir also urged them to take the training and the GEEP religiously, so as to ensure poverty eradication and reduction of idleness in the state.
In her address, Mrs. Mary Yuwadi, the state Focal Person of the programme, said federal government had improved the living conditions of hundreds of people in the state through NSIP.
Yuwadi said the GEEPS programme was another opportunity from the federal government that aimed to bring out people from poverty through entrepreneurial schemes.
(NAN)
